de Le Cuona | Cashmere Velvet – Fire Opal

Cashmere Velvet is a plain velvet with a soft, dense pile and a hand that is closer to brushed wool than to a conventional, shiny velvet. The surface is matte and slightly dusty, so it takes light gently rather than reflecting it back. Fire Opal is a warm, glowing colour, a burnt orange with a little red in it, and the pile gives it depth, so it looks richer in the shadows of a fold than it does flat on the roll. It is a colour that makes a room feel warmer.

The cloth is 78% cotton, 11% polyester and 11% wool, and it is 145 cm wide. It is a plain velvet, so there is no pattern repeat to calculate. The Martindale is 100,000 rubs, which is a very high figure and means it is suited to seating that is used every day, not just to occasional chairs. It is sold by the half metre, which makes it simple to order a small amount for cushions or a larger quantity for a sofa.

We would use it on a sofa or a deep armchair where we want a strong, warm colour in a room of quieter neutrals, and it also makes a beautiful headboard. As curtains it hangs with real weight, and it suits a library or a sitting room used mostly in the evening. We tend to pair it with soft, undyed linens and a deep brown or tobacco wool, so the orange feels warm rather than bright, and we would keep walls pale and matt.

Velvet has a pile direction, and it matters. Ask your upholsterer to cut every piece with the pile running the same way, usually downwards on a back and forwards on a seat, otherwise the colour will look uneven between sections. For curtains, we would railroad nothing and cut drops in the same direction, and we always interline to give the cloth body. Avoid pressing or ironing the face, and brush the pile lightly with a soft brush to keep it even.